Bracket for use with sawhorses and the like

ABSTRACT

Brackets for use in the assembly of sawhorses, barricades, road blocks, trestles and the like are formed of stacked metal straps having end portions bent upwardly and inwardly from an intermediate bottom portion and with the ends of the end portion bent up either vertically or horizontally inwardly toward one another and so as to support a back piece or cross member with screws or bolts extending through the holes of the end portions. The legs are attached to the upwardly and inwardly bent end portions. This bracket is not only adapted for attachment of the back piece and leg piece by screws but for welding, gluing, to provide a permanent structure.

United States Patent 1 3,563,343

[72] Inventor Hartzell M. Kramm 1,015,191 1/1912 Kneisley 182/224 1111 Nowlalld Ave., Peoria, II]. 61614 1,107,098 8/1914 Opelt 182/224 [2]] Appl. No. 840,168 2,794,688 6/1957 Scott 182/185 [22] Filed July 9, 1969 2,889,176 6/ 1959 Thompson 287/548 [45] Patented Feb. 16, 1971 [54] BRACKET FOR USE WITH SAWHORSES AND THE 936,945 10/ 1909 Rice Primary Examiner Reinaldo P. Machado Attorney- Polachek & Saulsbury ABSTRACT: Brackets for use in the assembly of sawhorses, barricades, road blocks, trestles and the like are formed of stacked metal straps having end portions bent upwardly and inwardly from an intermediate bottom portion and with the ends of the end portion bent up either vertically or horizontally inwardly toward one another and so as to support a back piece or cross member with screw or bolts extending through the holes of the end portions. The legs are attached to the upwardly and inwardly bent end portions. This bracket is not only adapted for attachment of the back piece and leg piece by screws but for welding, gluing, to provide a permanent structure.

Patented Feb. 16, 1971 v 3,563,343

' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.5.

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HARTZA-LA M K/PAMM 1 BRACKET FOR USE WITH SAWIIORSES AND THE LIKE This invention relates to the construction of sawhorses, barricades, road blocks and trestles.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a metal bracket that is adapted for the assembly of the legs of sawhorses, roadblocks and the like, to the back or cross bar thereof and wherein upon making the assembly the same can be done with bolts, lag screws and any other simple standard fastener elements.

It is another object of the invention to provide a sawhorse, barricade or the like in which the brackets for the connecting of the legs to the backpiece canbe easily made from a piece of metal strip that can be readily bent to provide a bottom spacing portion, bent inclined end portions, to which the legs are attached and top portion for connection of the bracket to the back piece.

It is still another object to provide a sawhorse, or barricade assembly with a bracket so constructed that is permits the assembly to be easily knocked down into a kit for easy loading to transport or for storing purposes. 1

Further objects of the invention are to provide a bracket for the assembly of legs and a backpiece of a sawhorse, road block or the like, which is simple indesign, light in weight, dependable, has great strength, easy to manufacture, of neat appearance, can be adapted for either wood or metal sawhorses or barricades, rigid and free of being twisted, spread or movement in any direction.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be made-to the following detail construction taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one form of bracket made from metal strap. j

. FIG. 2 is a fragmentary and sectional view of the bracket and sawhorse or barricade parts assembled to one another by lag screws and bolts. i

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2 and looking in side elevation upon one face of the assembled bracket.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a bracket construction according to another form of the invention wherein the outer ends of the metal strap are bent-inwardly to provide a top to the bracket. p

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary and sectional view in elevation of the bracket of FIG. 4 assembled into a sawhorse, barricade or the like.

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 6 of FIG. 5 of the assembly and looking'in elevation upon the one side face of the bracket. I

FIG. 7. is a top plan view of the bracket assembly with the back piece or cross member removed taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another bracket construction wherein the bracket requires two bolts'for the connection of the legs thereto and to the bracket at the opposite sides of the back piece. a i

and made from a single piece of metal which while still flat and unbent is provided on each end 11 and 12 upwardly of a bottom portion 13, with eight holes 11' and 12' respectively. Once these holes have been made in the metal strap piece, the strap is bent in four places. The bottom portion 13 provides horizontal length to the bracket and the end portions 11 and 12 are bent upwardly therefrom as indicated at 14 and 15 so that the respective end portions make an acute angle A with the bottom portion 13 and in aconverging manner. The back piece attaching ends are extensions of the end portions 11 and 12 and are shown respectively at 16 and 17 and contain some of the holes 11' and 12'. These turned up ends are bent from the end portions 11 and 12 at 18 and 19 respectively so that they run parallel with one another and receive bottom back pieces or crossmember 20 having parallel side faces 21 and 22 for receiving attaching lag screws 23 and 24 that pass through holes 11 and 12' of the respective turned up ends 16 and 17. The turned up ends 16 and 17 can be bent to accommodate the side faces 21 and 2.2 of the back piece 20 though they may not be made parallel as shown. 7

Legs 26 and 27 while shown in FIG 2 as being merely fragments of such legs extending to the ground for support and their upper ends ,lie flush against the end portions 11 and 12 and are attached by bolts 28 and 29 having nuts 28' and 29' for their final and rigid securement therewith.

The bottom portion 13 of the bracket measures the distance between the legs and the angle between the bottom and end portions 11 and -12 determines the degree of a spread of the legs from one another by varying the angle A between the bottom and end portions.

It should be apparent that the back pieces and legs can be made of metal and the parts can be joined to the bracket as by welding to make strong rigidsawhorses, barricades, trestles or the like.

In this manner the step of drillingthe metal pieces to provide the holes for the attaching screws and the bolts is eliminated. Through such a construction, the entire assemblage is rigid, resistant from twisting, spreading or movement of theparts relative to one another in any direction. Such a construction whether it be welded, made of metal or with parts made of wood is extremely strong, and when made of wood is light in weight, and also light in weight when made of FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a modified form of bracket in which the upturned ends are of less height and adapted for attachment to a flattened back piece.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a'bracket constructed according to a further form of the invention in which the bracket becomes the full support and legs of the sawhorse and has.upturned ends that are slid and supported into metal clamp plates that are carried on the sides of the back piece.

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary elevational view of a still further form of the invention where the ends of the bent strap of the bracket overlie one another and are joined by bolts to the underside of the back piece; and

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary elevational view of a still further form of the bracket in which the bracket is formed into a continuous loop and the ends overlying one another and joined to a leg.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 1 to 3, there is shown a bracket 10 constructed according to one form of the invention aluminum.

It should be apparent that with thebolts and screws the assemblage can be readily disassembled by the mere removal of the screws and bolts for the purpose of being transported or stored.

In FIGS. 4-7, a slightly different bending of the metal strap piece is made of the end portions 11 and 12, so that a back piece 30 is flatter in shape and can be assembled with top bolts 31 of less number than required of the lag screws for the attachment of the bracket upwardly extending ends 16 and 17 to the sides of the back piece. In this modified form ends 16' and 17 are bent inwardly as indicated at 32 and 33 into mere abutting relationship with one another and only two holes 1 l" and 12" areprovided in these turned in ends 16 and 17'. The back piece 30 lies flat on the top faces of the turned-in ends 16' and 17' and is secured thereto by four bolts 31. If the parts are made of metal the assembly can be made without bolts and joined together by gluing or adhesive. Rivets may also be used.

In the form shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lag screws 23 can be replaced by nails and even long bolts can be used that may extend transversely through the back piece 20 and the upturned ends 16 and 17. With this modified bracket shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, it will be apparent that the disassembly can readily be made by removing the several bolts and the parts stored there will consume little space.

While the bracket shown in FIGS. 4 to 5, is made of a single piece of metal strap with the ends merely closed upon itself, it will be apparent that such ends can be closed eliminating any possible action for the springing of the end portions upon the legs tending to be spread toward bottom ends of this same general shape as shown in FIG. 4 made from a continuous circle or ring as may be cut from a tube and swaged upon being heated to assume this general shape.

This latter closed construction will prevent any tendency not only for spreading of the legs, but for shearing of the top or splitting of the back piece or cross member 30.

It should be apparent that there has been provided a bracket for use in assembling sawhorses, barricades and the like, which can be easily formed fromstandard metal strap or from a closed ring or tubing piece that can be made into a permanent construction but also may have quick assembly or disassembly, for which wing nuts or other suitable hand manipulated fasteners may be used, to replace the nuts 28 and 29 of the side bolts and of the top bolt 31 as shown in FIG. and of any screw bolts that may be used in the construction of FIG. 2 replacing the lag screws 23 and 24.

In FIG. 8, bracket 40 is bent similarly to the bracket of FIG. 1 but of strap metal of less width although still of a single piece. This metal piece is bent from opposite ends upwardly from a bottom portion 41 to provide side face portions 42 and 43 inclined at an acute angle with the bottom portion and opposing one another and with upwardly bent ends 44. The ends 44 are secured to side faces of a back piece 45 by the two bolts 46, one above the other. Legs 47 and 48 are secured by similarly vertically spaced bolts 49 to the respectively angularly inclined end portions 42 and 43.

In FIG. 9, a bracket 50 has a bottom portion 51, two upwardly bent end portions 52 and 53 inclined at an acute angle from the bottom portion and having short upwardly bent ends 54 and 55 respectively. These short ends are adapted for connection to the side edges of a flatback piece 56 and to which the ends 54 an secured by wood screws 57 and 58, as illustrated. These screws 57 and 58 are spaced horizontally from one another instead of vertically as in the form of the invention shown in FIG. 8. The wooden legs can be secured by bolts passing through vertically spaced holes 59 in the upturned end portions 52 and 53.

In FIG. 10, a bracket 60 is constructed similar to the bracket shown in FIG. 8 except-there are not provided any bolt holes for bolts to be extended through upwardly bent ends 62 and 63 to which legs are normally connected or in upstanding ends 64. To assemble the bracket 60 onto a back piece or cross member 65, there is provided clamp plates 66 fastened by screws 67 to the opposite faces thereof and outwardly struck at 68 to permit the ends'64 to be slid upwardly into the plates 66. The bracket 60 can be made of any height and its bottom portion 61 can serve as aground support for the assembled barricade or road block.

In FIG. 11, there is provided a bracket 70 which has a bottom portion 71, upwardly turned ends 72 and 73 to which legs 74 and 75 are respectively connected by bolts 76 and 77. Rather than having the ends of the end portion 72 and 74 turned upwardly and attached .to the sides of the cross member these ends 72 and 73 are bent to extend laterally as shown at 78 and 79 and to overlie one another and provided with aligned bolt holes for receiving bolts 80 serving to connect a crossvmember or back piece 81 thereto. This construction adds somewhat to the strength of the bracket itself and can permit its construction made from a metal strap of less thickness.

In FIG. 12 there is provided a bracket 85 having a bottom portion 86 from which there is upwardly bent a long portion 87 that is similarly bent to provide a top portion 89 parallel to the bottom portion 86 and a downwardly and outwardly inclined portion 90 that is aligned in an overlying manner with a short end portion 91 extending upwardly from the bottom portion 86. A leg 92 is connected to these overlying portions 90 and 91 by bolts 93 so that the bracket 85 is closed upon the inner face of the leg 92. The opposite side has a leg 94 that is connected by bolts 95 to the long upwardly bent portion 87 and a back piece 'or cross member 96 is connected by bolts 97 to the portion 89 of the long end portion 87. All of the brackets are generally shaped to substantially the same angles and dimensions and the differences lie in the manner in which the bent ends of the end ortions are bent.

It should be apparent hat the forms of the invention shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 provide for a more or less tubular-shaped construction as shown in the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 4 to 7 but with their ends being joined to make for a more rigid construction.

Iclaim:

l. A bracket adapted for use in the assembly of back and leg pieces to provide a sawhorse, barricade, trestle or the like formed of metal strap having a bottom portion with upwardly bent end portions converging toward one another with bent ends adapted to accommodate a back piece with flush engagement therewith and the upwardly and inwardly inclined end portions of themselves serving to have the upper ends of legs connected in flush engagement therewith and converging from one another toward the ground, and said bent ends being bent horizontally toward one another to receive the bottom face ofa back piece and said end portions and bent end having holes for receiving bolts, rivets, or the like upon the attachment of the leg and back pieces thereto, said bracket being substantially tubular in shape providing the bottom portion serving to space the legs, upwardly the inclined side portions and the top portion formed of the inwardly bent ends.

2. A bracket adapted for use in the assembling of back and leg pieces to provide a sawhorse, barricade, trestle or the like as defined in claim 1, having bent ends of short length and adapted only for attaching bolts whose back pieces are horizontally spaced from one another.

3. A bracket adapted for use in the assembling of back and leg pieces to provide a sawhorse, barricade, trestle or the like as defined in claim 1, and said bent ends horizontally overlying one another.

4. A bracket adapted for use in the assembling of back and leg pieces to provide a sawhorse, barricade, trestle or the like as defined in claim 1, and at least one of said bent end portions being bent of itself to provide a top portion parallel to the bottom portion, and the downwardly turned end, and the other end portion overlying the downwardly turned end of the longer end portion. 

1. A bracket adapted for use in the assembly of back and leg pieces to provide a sawhorse, barricade, trestle or the like formed of metal strap having a bottom portion with upwardly bent end portions converging toward one another with bent ends adapted to accommodate a back piece with flush engagement therewith and the upwardly and inwardly inclined end portions of themselves serving to have the upper ends of legs connected in flush engagement therewith and converging from one another toward the ground, and said bent ends being bent horizontally toward one another to receive the bottom face of a back piece and said end portions and bent end having holes for receiving bolts, rivets, or the like upon the attachment of the leg and back pieces thereto, said bracket being substantially tubular in shape providing the bottom portion serving to space the legs, upwardly the inclined side portions and the top portion formed of the inwardly bent ends.
 2. A bracket adapted for use in the assembling of back and leg pieces to provide a sawhorse, barricade, trestle or the like as defined in claim 1, having bent ends of short length and adapted only for attaching bolts whose back pieces are horizontally spaced from one another.
 3. A bracket adapted for use in the assembling of back and leg pieces to provide a sawhorse, barricade, trestle or the like as defined in claim 1, and said bent ends horizontally overlying one another.
 4. A bracket adapted for use in the assembling of back and leg pieces to provide a sawhorse, barricade, trestle or the like as defined in claim 1, and at least one of said bent end portions being bent of itself to provide a top portion parallel to the bottom portion, and the downwardly turned end, and the other end portion overlying the downwardly turned end of the longer end portion. 